


A Prayer to the Sea

by broadway_and_burbank



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fisherman and his wife, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 14:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16097642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broadway_and_burbank/pseuds/broadway_and_burbank
Summary: Anna continues to wait for Kristoff's return to sea.Based on the song Candle on the Water from Disney's Pete's Dragon.





	A Prayer to the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old fic I wrote a few years ago, but someone kindly asked me to repost it on tumblr, so I figured I'd post it here too.

Anna pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and set the candle beside her. The rock was as uncomfortable and cold as it always was, but like every night, she sat upon it and stared out into the open water. The wind was especially harsh, but that wasn’t going to stop her. It never had; it never would.

“Please bring him home safe,” she whispered with words so familiar she often spoke them in her sleep. It was a prayer – a prayer to the sea, to the stars, to God, to anyone who would listen.

It had been almost a year since her husband left on a routine fishing trip with his crew. In fact, morning would mark exactly a year since she’d last seen him. She remembered that morning in detail as if it had happened the day before, but it felt like two lifetimes ago.

She’d woken up curled against him, head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat like always. It was still dark and she complained how she never had to be up that early, but they both knew she didn’t really mind. She insisted on seeing him off when he had long trips like these and she often went right back to sleep once he was gone.

As he got up to get dressed, Anna pulled on her robe and walked over to the window, opening it up to the cool air of the morning. She shivered against the chill until a pair of strong, steady arms wrapped around her from behind and enveloped her in warmth.

“I don’t want you to go,” she said as Kristoff kissed the top of her head.

“I don’t either,” he mumbled into her hair. He put his chin on top of her head and looked out onto the calm waters and dark horizon. “But it’s only for a week this time. My last trip was two weeks.”

She sighed and leaned into him even more. “Your last trip was only a month ago. It’s way too soon to be leaving again.”

“I know, but I promise that once I get back, we can spend the whole day in bed if that’s what you want.”

Anna smiled as he bent his head and kissed her exposed shoulder. He trailed light kisses up her neck and she giggled as she said, “I think that might be what _you_ want.”

“ _I think_ it’s something we’d both enjoy.” He kissed behind her ear and Anna giggled again.

“Only if you take a bath first! I don’t think you know how horribly you smell of fish after these trips.”

Kristoff laughed and put his chin back on her head. “Trust me, I know. You might have to help me with that, though.”

His lips went back to her neck and she awkwardly moved her hand back to lightly slap his shoulder. “Stop that, unless you want a repeat of what happened before your last trip.”

“I _definitely_ want a repeat of what happened before my last trip.”

Anna grinned and turned in his arms so that she was facing him. She stood on her toes and gave him a quick kiss. “You were really late and the entire crew got mad at you, remember?”

He leaned down to give her another short peck. “Worth it.”

Anna was so close to giving in, but stopped herself and put her hands on his chest. “Nope!” She smiled up at him and wiggled out of his arms. “The sooner you leave, the sooner you get back and I’m already waiting for that to happen!” She ran over to the chair next to their bed and struggled to lift the heavy bag off it.

Kristoff laughed and went over to help her. Once he swung the heavy sack over his shoulder, he suddenly picked up Anna and held her bridal style. She shrieked with laughter as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he carried her down the stairs, through their tiny living room, and out the door.

Once outside, he put her carefully down in front of her door and they turned to face each other. Anna slowly wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her face into his chest. “I’m gonna miss you.”

He returned the embrace and laid his cheek on her head. “I’ll miss you too, _so much_. But it’s only a week.” He pulled away, put a hand on her cheek, and looked her straight in the eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Kristoff leaned in to give her one last lingering kiss before straightening up and gripping her hand in his. He gave it a light squeeze as he reassured her, “It’s only a week.” With one more smile, he turned and headed away from their home.

Anna stood, as she always did, and watched him until he could no longer be seen. She went inside and slowly walked back up the stairs to lay down in their too empty bed. She was still exhausted and found herself hugging his pillow until her eyes shut and she drifted off to sleep.

The rest of the week was fairly normal for Anna. She’d go into town or spend time with her sister or just pass time outdoors. No matter what she was doing through, she would count down the days until Kristoff’s return. Five days left. Four days left. Three days left.

The day before he was scheduled to come back, she got the house ready for his arrival and was seemingly walking on air. She went to sleep that night with a smile on her face, knowing that come morning, she’d be reunited with the love of her life.

When she woke up, she ran outside to await his return. Next to their house, down a small hillside, was a shore lined with large rocks that Anna would sit on whenever she expected his homecoming. She would always be there when the ship appeared on the horizon and would either run to the dock to meet him or have a surprise waiting for him at home. (Kristoff was happy with either.)

She sat on her favorite rock and watched the small waves crash below her feet.

She waited the whole day, but didn’t see anything even resembling a boat. When she told her sister of her fears that something might have happened to him, Elsa calmed her, reminding her that ships sometimes got delayed for a day or two. Anna took comfort in that and decided she could wait another day.

But then the next day passed.

And the day after that.

Soon, a whole week had gone by. Anna had started going out to the rocks at night, carrying only a candle and wearing her nightgown. She’d usually have a blanket or shall or one of Kristoff’s sweaters if the night was cold, but she always went out. Rain or shine, warm or cold, clear or foggy; even snow didn’t stop her from sitting out there for hours on end.

Elsa tried to help her as much as she could, even keeping the hope alive for a while. But once it hit six months, she helped Anna understand that it was okay to move on, that she didn’t love him any less if she got back to her life.

So Anna did, at least during the day. She would do household chores or go to the market; she’d even smile during certain times. But at night, she would always return to the shore. She’d sit on her favorite rock and stare out at the water seemingly unblinking as she took slow, shuttering breaths – sometimes crying, sometimes not.

Elsa had long since realized that Anna wasn’t going to give up hope so she let her stay out there all night long and checked up on her from time to time.

Anna never spoke during that time. The only words spoken were ones Elsa couldn’t hear. Maybe no one could. Anna didn’t know, but she didn’t care. She would never stop waiting, never stop hoping, and never stop loving.

She glanced down at the burned out candle stub next to her and looked back to the water. The first rays of daylight were breaking over the horizon and she squinted at the pink and purple colors. It was a new day.

It had been fifty-two weeks since the last time she’d seen him, since the last time she’d held him. She wasn’t about to give up though; she would never give up. She got off the rock and picked up the small, tin candle holder that was weathered by its repeated usage. She stood on the shore, looking out into the sea for the last time that day.

“I’ll never let you go, Kristoff. _Never_.”

She wiped the last tear off her face and turned to walk back up the hill into the lonely, empty house.


End file.
